What is Vasant Panchami?
Vasant (meaning spring season) Panchami (meaning 5th- the 5th day of Magha), Vasant Panchami falls on the 26th of January in 2023. It is also called Basant Panchami or Saraswati Puja or Sri Panchami (in Southern India). This day is dedicated to celebrating the birth anniversary of the Hindu Goddess of wisdom, speech, language, science and arts, Goddess Saraswati. This day also marks the start of preparations for the advent of the spring season (Vasant Ritu) due to the Sun’s northward journey. Now the sharp chilly wintry weather starts melting into softer, warmer days running up to the full bloom of Holi.
Vasant Panchami and Goddess Saraswati
Goddess Saraswati is an important Divinity and one of the 3 goddesses in the Trinity of Parvati, Laxmi , Saraswati.
While she is also fervently worshipped on other festivals such Diwali and Navratri; Vasant Panchami is mainly dedicated to the exclusive worship of Goddess Saraswati, Though some parts of India do pray to Shiv Parvati too
Here are some reasons why the Goddess is prayed to on this day
Creation of the world
Legend has it that Brahma created the Universe on Vasant Panchami. But on supervising it realized that it lacked lustre and spirit. So he created Saraswati from his mind, a powerful Goddess who played the Vina beautifully. Goddess Saraswati then toured the Universe with her melodious music. This brought positive energy, life, creative intelligence and cheer within Brahma’s creation. That is why Vasant Panchami is celebrated as Goddess Saraswati’s birth anniversary.
Blessing of Kalidasa
Another story says that there was once, a brilliant princess called Vidyottama who defeated countless scholars in debates .She proclaimed that she would only marry someone more intelligent than her. The jealous pandits in her court decided to teach her a lesson.
They hunted for a complete fool and finally found him in a man called Kalidasa. He was cutting the same branch that he was sitting on. They somehow convinced the princess to marry him swiftly. But after the marriage when Vidyottamma found truth, she flew into a rage and threw Kalidas out of the palace.
Humiliated Kalidas decided to end his life but Goddess Saraswati appeared at that exact moment on Vasant Panchami . She advised him to take a dip in some river closeby. When Kalidas emerged from the waters, he had transformed into an incredibly brilliant man. Further, he went on to become the most famous poet.
That is why Goddess Saraswati is prayed to this day with the hope that she blesses all her devotees with stupendous intelligence and creativity.
Vasant Panchami and Spring
Vasant Panchami is on the 5th Day of the Hindu month of Magha coinciding with the months of January/February of the Gregorian calendar.
In the ancient times, Vasant Panchami signaled the start of Vasant Mahotsav; a month-long celebration leading up to Holi. During this time Nature turns around with a bountiful freshness and titillating beauty. And that’s exactly what the festival signifies for people; a brand-new start for beautiful beginnings.
Vasant Panchami, the mighty river Saraswati and the colour yellow
In ancient times, Vasant Panchami used to bring river Saraswati and its tributaries gushing with waters from the melting glacier of Har-ki-dun in Himalayas. This would cause flora of the river banks to shoot up to their dazzling best. These fertile regions, rich with mustard crops radiated with yellow blooms that dominated the landscape.
Saraswati Puja and the yellow colour associated with it draws its roots from this phenomenon, though the river itself has dried up since 1500 B.C
Vasant Panchami and spirituality, erudition
Reports suggest that Yamuna was a tributary of Saraswati before tectonic disturbances disrupted it. Yamuna river flowing through the Dev Bhumi (Uttarakhand) is the place where Rishi Vyasa compiled the Vedas and also wrote the Mahabharata. Saraswati river is strongly associated with spirituality, mysticism and also the great seers of the past. Hence, Saraswati Puja is synonymous with wisdom, knowledge and Sattva Guna.
Read up all about the Saraswati Upanishad here
How is Vasant Panchami/ Saraswati Puja celebrated
The perfect day for new beginnings
Vasant Panchami is called as an ‘Abujha’ day. In other words, an auspicious day for important milestones, like wedding, starting of a new venture, moving into a new house etc. It is believed that even the Gods chose Vasant Panchami for key beginnings. The Shiva- Parvati marriage is often cited as an example.
The perfect day to start Education:
Vasant Panchami/ Saraswati Puja is also called ‘Shikshapatri Jayanti’. This day is ideal for introducing small kids to academics. ‘Vidya Arambham’, a popular ritual is widely followed on Vasant Panchami. The parent/teacher make the student write the first letters. Also they initiate art/music education on this day.
Schools, colleges and other educational institutions across the country perform Saraswati pujas in the morning followed by students art and dance performances.
Many Gurus choose Vasant Panchami to initiate their disciples This is also the season most recommended for rigorous Yoga practices.
The perfect day for ancestors’ worship and a holy dip
Pitr Tarpan, the ancient ritual of ancestor worship is widely performed. People also wake up early in the morning for a holy dip in the Ganges or any holy river nearby.
Yellow as a theme
The yellow colour theme extends beyond clothes to the festive savouries as well. For adding a yellow hue, dishes like Kesari sheera, Kesari Rajbhog, Kesari Bhaat are cooked with a dash of saffron. These are offered to the Goddess along with yellow flowers before the feast.
The yellow theme is inspired by the belief that it is the favourite colour of the Goddess. In addition to this, the yellow theme matches the yellow fever of the mustard blooms. It also symbolizes the shining sharpness of the Uttarayan Sun.
Statewise highlights
- West Bengal, Odisha, Tripura, Bihar etc celebrate Saraswati Puja in a big way accompanied with prayer ceremonies at home, temples and school and colleges.
- The Shiv-Parvati divinity is worshipped with mango tree flowers and wheat ears in Maharashtra/Madhya Pradesh. Newly weds visit temples to offer prayers.
- Punjab celebrates it as a kite flying festival, and the sky looks lovely with colourful kites all over.
- In Uttarakhand, people additionally worship Parvati as the Mother Earth and all the gifts of crops and agriculture that she provides.
- Rajathanis wear jasmine garlands to celebrate Vasant Panchami.
- In Bihar, devotees sing, dance and play musical instruments in the ancient temple of Deo, a shrine dedicated to the Sun- God.
Shiva- Parvati and Vasant Panchami
Lord Shiva went into deep contemplation (Samadhi) after his wife, Sati’s death. Meanwhile Sati, reincarnated as Parvati in her next life does ardent penance to reunite with her husband. But Shiva, lost in meditation, ignores her.
By this time, several harassed Rishis approach Kamadeva to help them kill a troublesome demon Tarakasura. The problem was that this demon had a boon that only Shiva\’s son could kill him. Kamadeva agrees to help and shoots Cupid arrows at Shiva so that he could fall for Parvati. But an enraged Shiva opens his third eye and reduces him to ashes.
Later, when he get to know the facts, he marries Parvati and their son Kartikeya actually slays Tarakasura.
The Hindu Symbolism of Goddess Saraswati
Goddess Saraswati embodies the Sattvic element of the Trigunas, presiding over Knowledge, harmony, music, arts, culture, science, technology and higher consciousness. She is a part of the Trinity of Saraswati, Laxmi, Parvati who help the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva create, maintain and regenerate the Universe.
The word Saraswati means, one who leads to the essence of Self knowledge. It also means, one with plenty of water, one that literally flows, referring to the Saraswati river.
She is the Shakti; the power and consort of Brahma. Goddess Saraswati is believed to bless humans with the powers of discrimination, speech, knowledge and wisdom.
She is depicted as a beautiful goddess dressed in pristine white, seated on a lotus. The Goddess has in her four hands : a lute, a rosary and scriptural books. She is usually shown with water in the background suggestive of the Saraswati river. The Scriptural Books in her left hand represents world knowledge while the Rosary in the right depicts Japa/ Austerities. This single gesture means that righteousness is of a higher importance than all the knowledge of the world. In addition, the lute held in the other two hands show the importance of fine arts in one’s education.
Next is her is a peacock, representative Avidya (ignorance); of all the glamorous lures that a spiritual aspirant can lose his way into. The white swan associated with her is representative of Viveka (discrimination) because of its incredible ability to separate milk from water.
It is also a practice to start and end Vedic lessons with Saraswati Vandana.
This Vasant Panchami/ Saraswati Pooja let us seek her special blessings for wisdom, light, creativity, mental ability and intellectual progress. Also, her power to banish away lethargy and distractions
